25 year old Brandy Norwood should be pleased as punch with her decade long career in the music industry thus far. While delivering only her fourth album in ten years isn't really setting a cracking pace by anyone's standards, keep in mind there has been a lot of growing to catch up on as well as brief forays into Television, Films and most recently motherhood.

Her latest effort, AfroDisiac (a crap title that rivals Everlast's White Trash Beautiful for stereotype album name of the year), comes at a time when, let's face it, R&B is in the shitter. Release after agonising release bear the same tiresome traits of a Thug Rapper guesting (and over staying his welcome), stupid skits/interludes, half an album of remixes and a cover shoot that gives off the impression that Larry Flynt is calling the shots not Damon Dash.

Thankfully, at least on the surface of things, Brandy has given this sort of nonsense the body swerve. I found it quite refreshing to press play on the CD and actually listen to a song straight away instead of a minute and a half of bullshit from Ja Rule or someone else of similar repute. Free of all that, she can just let the songs speak for themselves. From the outset, 15 songs are stretching the friendship (that's what B-Sides are for. If you don't know what a B-Side is, ask your parents), but at least we are spared the inevitable 'Quaky Quaky Smack Smack' remix of the first single. 

Lead track 'Who I Am' is a soul bearing number, chronicling her marriage breakdown in painstaking detail: "What I thought was love was something I could not believe in." Moesha is no longer the cutesy pie she once was. More dirty laundry is aired on 'Who Is She 2 U' where Miss Norwood puts the hard word on her ex. One can't help but picture an episode of 'Cheaters' as the backdrop for a potential film clip.

'Talk About Our Love' is the chosen single featuring new kid in town, Kanye West. The song is clearly the strongest of the set but ultimately is let down by the beats overpowering the neat Mandrill sample. I never thought the day would come where I would insist a sample should have been used a tad more.

Speaking of samples, album closer 'Should I Go' sees Brandy questioning whether she should leave the music industry or stay around, all to the loop of Coldplay's 'Clocks'. Whether or not Brandy is a big fan of the English Quartet (apparently she is and she also name checks them in the earlier song 'I Tried') is not the issue. There is a fine line between homage and sheer laziness and considering 'Clocks' was the most overplayed song from the past 18 months I think you can safely guess which side of the line 'Should I Go' falls on.

Now I'm in no position to give advice about her career path, considering she repeatedly informs us that she is the one in control. But these days, most Female R&B artists don't last ten months let alone ten years. If anything Brandy, show these whippersnappers how it is done.